| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| conclave |
a secret, private, or confidential meeting or gathering. |
| conjoin |
to combine for a common purpose. |
| constrict |
to pull or squeeze in; make smaller or more narrow; tighten. |
| delectation |
enjoyment; delight; pleasure. |
| deter |
to stop or discourage from some action by creating doubt or fear. |
| disinter |
to dig up or remove from a place of burial; exhume. |
| nonpareil |
a person or thing whose excellence is unequaled; paragon. |
| obviate |
to prevent or eliminate in advance; render unnecessary or irrelevant. |
| opprobrious |
expressing condemnation or scorn; accusing of shameful behavior. |
| otiose |
having no purpose or use; unnecessary or futile. |
| reconnaissance |
the act or process of examining an area, especially to gain militarily useful information. |
| reconnoiter |
to go through or over (an area) so as to gain information about it, as for military or engineering purposes. |
| repine |
to express or feel unhappiness; complain; fret. |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |